Attachment for telephone mouthpieces



March 26, 1929. GRAHAM 1,706,778

ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONE MOUTHPIECES Original Filed May 15, 1926 INVENTOR 05056: Grafiam ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

'lTE-D STATES ROBERT S. GRAHAM, OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY;

ATTACHMENT FOB TELEPHONE MOUTHPIECES.

Refiletl for abandoned application Serial No. 1093M, filed May 15, 1926.

This application filed December 27, 1923. Serial No. 328,739.

This invention relates to attachments for telephone mouthpieces or similar apparatus, and aims, among other objects, to provide an improved, simple and inexpensive germicide container which may be readily applied to a mouthpiece for the purpose of destroying disease germs and thereby maintaining the mouthpiece in a sanitary condition to avoid contagion through the inhalation of germs or other impurities by persons using the same. This applicationis reliled for abandoned application Ser. No. 109,364,, tiled May 15, 1926.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the preferred form of the attachn'ient;v

Fig. is a vertical, longitudinal section through the device applied to a telephone mouthpiece i Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the attachment; and

Fig. l is a side elevation of the same.

le'ierring to the Cll'ZWVlIlg, there is shown a main supportin or base member in the form oi an annular plate 1, which may be made of celluloid, aluminum or other suitable light-weight material, the front face of which, when applied to a mouthpiece,presents a surface admirably adapted to receive advertising or other matter.

The i .ci' edge of the plate is shown as being pre. ed outwardly and then bent upon itself to provide a strengtheningbead 2, and the. margins are then turned inwardly to form a seat 8,into which is adapted to be pressed or clamped the peripheral edges or a wire gauze panel or disc l of relatively lino mesh, and made of copper or other noncorrosive wire, which is adapted, when the device is in applied position, to completely cover the mouthpiece, as shown in nigures 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The outer peripheral edge of the annular plate 1 is likewise formed into a continuous bead 5 which, in connection with the inner bead 2, serves to prevent bending or buckling of the annular plate and thereby maintains the wire gauze in tightly stretched condition at all times.

Attached to the inner face of the wire gauze l, and at the lower portion thereof, is a thin metal container 6 which is round in cross section, and is tapered on a curve towards the rear end to conform to the shape of the telephone mouthpiece, into which the same projects, the top of the container being horizontally disposed and substantially on a level with the center line of the mouthpiece, and the rear end of said container extending nearly to therear wall of the mouthpiece, though the said top may be below such level and the said rear end may be somewhat spaced from said wall.

The inner bead 2, at its lower portion, provided with an arcuate, inclined flange 7 extending inwardly therefrom, and the front edges of the container 6 are soldered or otherwise secured thereto, so that the lower portion of the wire gauze abuts against the front wall (3 of the container, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, thus providing coimnunication between the interior of the container and the outside atmosphere.

The upper, horizontal edges of the sides and rear wall of the container 6 are provided with. upstanding extensions or lugs 8 within which there is adapted to be seated a cover plate 9, which is preferably formed of noncorrosive metal conforming to the shape of the container and adapted to rest upon the upper edges thereof, said lugs being slightly bent in an outward direction. to permit same. The cover plate is provided with a plurality o1? perforations 9 to permit the passage of fumes or vapors from within the container.

The inner bead, where bent inwardly to :torm the seat 3, providedat each side and at the top with inner spring tongues 10 and outer spring tongues ll, suitably spaced apart and said tongues being. formed integrally with the annular plate and adapted, when applied in position, to receive and clamp the front circular edge of the mouthpiece.

At the bottom of the inner bead there is only an outer tongue 1]. provided, as the aforesaid flange 7 at that point serves to engage the inner edge oil: said mouthpiece in the same manner as the inner tongues at the sides and top, and to rigidly hold the device in position.

The container is adapted to be packed with raw cotton or other absorbent material, which has previously been saturated with the proper amount of suitable germic'ide, the vapors from which are adapted to can terminate all germ life that may have been deposited on or within the telephone mouthpiece, and after said cotton has been placed in peel ion and thus treated, the

cured in position by the lugs 8, when said vapors may freely pass through the aperturcs 9 of the cover plate 5) to pertorm such function, it being understood that the s: no are neither injurious nor unpleasant to the user of the telephone.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and cheaply manufactured device has been provided which may be readily charged with the absorbent material holding the germicide, that the latter may be held in position against dislodgment and in a packed condition, if desired, by mea s of the lid or cover 9, andv that by mply springing the tongues 10 and 11 and the flange 7 in position over the tree, front edge ol the mouthpiece ll, the entire device is ri idly held in position thereon, with the rear end of the container adjacent to the rear pertorated wall 13 and the rising fumes or vapors having their el'lt'ect pen the entire interior of the moutlnaiece. At the same time, the upper portion of the wire gauze a ti'ords ample uninterrupted space for transmitting messages.

()lniiously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

V hat I claim is:-

1. run attachment for disinfecting telephone mouthpieces connprising an annluar plate; a wire gauze panel stretched fiat across and margii'ially supported by the plate; attaching means carried by the ring to holdthe gauze panel over the outer edge of. the mouthpiece; and a germicide container supported by the plate and projecting into said mouthpiece and occupying substantially the lower halt oi the same.

An attachment for telephone mouthpieces coniprising a flat annular plate having an inner and an outer marginal, reinforcing bead; spring rongs at the inner margin to secure and hold the plate on the outer edge of the men 7 piece; a wire gauze pan *1 marginally held in the inner bead across the mouth -iiece; and a gcrn'iicide container carried by the plate and projecting from the rear side of the gauze into said mouthpiece.

3. A sanitary attachment for telephone mouthoieees or the like comprising a still, ilat, annular plate constituting a base member having its inner and outer peripl'ieral edges formed into stiffening heads; a disc formed of wire gauze having its margins secured to the inner bead; inner and outer prongs carried by the inner head to frictionally engage the front end of the mouthpiece and support the base thereon with the gauze disc covering the mouthpiece; a rearwardly extending, semicircular flange projecting from the lower portion of the inner head; a germicide container secured to said flange and extending into the nu'nlthpiece; and a perforated lid or cover for the container.

A sanitary attachment tor telephone IHOUtllPlOCCS or the like comprising a still, flat, annular plate constituting a base member having its inner and out r peripheral edges termed into stillening beads; a disc formed of wire gauze having its margins secured to the inner bead; inner and outer prongs carried by the inner bead to trictionally engage the front end of the mouthpiece and support the base thereon with the gauze disc in covering relation to the mouthpiece; a rearwardly extending, semi-circular flange projecting from the lower portion of the inner bead; a semi-circular container having a front wall and supported by said flange; said container extending into the mouthpiece and occupying the lower portion of the space therein; the rear on d of the container being closed, the upper edges of: the sides and rear wall oi? the container being horizontal and provided with upstanding lugs; and a perlm'ated lid or cover conforming to the container and adapted to be held thereon by said lugs, after the same has been packed with medicated cotton or the like. 1

5. A disinfecting attachment for telephone mouthpieces comprising, in combina tion, a plate having a speaking opening; clips at the edge of the opening adapted to be clamped on the end or" the mouthpiece; a screen secured across the speaking opcn ing; and a gern'iicide receptacle secured to the rear side of the plate and so shaped that it projects into the lower half Oli the mouthpiece leaving a space for fumes to circulate between it and the inside wall of the mouth piece.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature.

ROBERT S. GRAHAM. 

